<p> The Geography of Science</p><p>Lesson 3: Sichuan Earthquake (2008): lessons learnt?</p><p>Key ideas: 1. Earthquakes happen due to the movement of tectonic plates. 2. Earthquakes affect a huge number of people. 3. Changes can be made to reduce the impact of earthquakes on people and places.</p><p>Starter activity: How do earthquakes happen? Use the BBC’s interactive earthquakes resource. This is also available as a non-animated pdf version, to explain how earthquakes happen. Talk through the interactive resource with students. If required, this could be covered before the lesson and this resource used as a recap.</p><p>Main Activity: Comparing two earthquakes in China: Tangshan (1976) and Sichuan (2008). 1) Students watch and read the PowerPoint “China Earthquakes: Learning from the past.” There are also a range of other useful resources online to support the Sichuan earthquake part of this PPT. Here are some useful links that you may wish to add during the lesson:</p><p> BBC website - aerial video of quake zone.  Pictures of the earthquake’s effects at photoshelter.  Guardian website - slide show gallery of earthquake effects and the aftermath.  BBC website - An interactive map of the region, in depth information, videos and photos: NB: There are few resources available online of the Tangshan earthquake due to the Chinese political climate at the time of the earthquake.</p><p>2) Students use the PowerPoint resource “China Earthquakes: Learning from the past,” the “Flashpoint 3: Sichuan Quake fact file” (particularly referring to the section “Poorly Constructed Schools” and the card sort activity resource entitled “Learning form the past: Tangshan and Sichuan compared.” </p><p>Students complete the card sort activity with the aim of considering how the two earthquake case studies are similar/different to each other. These could be cut into cards before the lesson, students could cut them or copy them.</p><p>3) Students produce a Venn-diagram (in groups or individually) to compare the two earthquakes on large sugar paper or on the computer to show:</p><p> How the earthquakes were similar  How the earthquakes were different</p><p>It could be set out something like this: Discuss ideas.</p><p>4) Using the resource sheet “Learning from the past: Changing the future,” students write an email response to the Chinese Government with recommendations of how they could prepare better for another earthquake.</p><p>Students may like to use these links:  ScienceDaily – earthquake proof house  Search “Earthquake resistant building” in ‘Google Images.’</p><p>Extra: For more able students, the implications of China’s large scale dam construction program in the area may also be considered. See BBC News website mapping the earthquake zone The Asia-Pacific Journal - Japan Focus </p><p>Plenary: Students feed back their recommendations to reduce the impact of earthquakes in China.</p><p>Extension: Design your own earthquake resistant building. Key points to think about in its construction:  How will you stop the building from falling down?  If the building does not fall down, how will you prevent accidents both inside and outside as it moves?  What about falling glass and rubble on the people outside? Links: Search “Earthquake resistant building” in ‘Google Images’ for ideas.</p>